Common name : Banana spiders Scientific name : Nephila Family : Nephilidae Native to : Australia, Asia, Africa and America Interesting fact : Its brightly coloured body helps it avoid predators. There is a big difference in the size of the male and female spiders, with the females being 5.1 cm in length and the […]
Common name : Golden birdwing Scientific name : Troides aeacus Family : Papilionidae Native to : South and South-East Asia and Australia Interesting fact : Due to its unique colouring, which is comprised of black forewings and golden yellow hind wings, this butterfly is known as the ‘golden birdwing’. With a wingspan of 15-16 cm,
Common name : Glowing cockroach Scientific name : Lucihormetica luckae Family : Blaberidae Native to : Ecuador Interesting fact : The back shell of the glowing cockroach resembles the famous star war characters known as Jawas. At 2.5 cm in length, this cockroach is considered to be one of the biggest in the cockroach family.
The Harmandir Sahib, or as it is popularly known, the Golden Temple, was built between 1585 and 1604 AD, in Amritsar, India.The temple is made of white marble, embellished with real gold–hence the name Golden Temple. Considered to be the holiest Gurudwara by the Sikhs, the Golden Temple was built so as to create a
Common name : Wandering glider Scientific name : Pantala flavescens Family : Libellulidae Native to : Worldwide distribution Interesting fact : First described in 1789, this dragonfly is considered to be the most widespread dragonfly in the world. At 4.5 cm in length and having a wingspan of at least 7 cm, the globe skimmer has
Common name : Glass winged butterfly Scientific name : Greta oto Family : Nymphalidae Native to : Mexico, Panama, Columbia Interesting fact : The reason that this butterfly has ‘glass’ like wings is due to the low absorption, reflection and scattering of light on the surface of the wings. With a wingspan of 6 cm,
The Al-Masjid Al-Haram, popularly known as the Great Mosque of Mecca, was established in pre-Islamic era in Mecca, present-day Saudi Arabia. The largest mosque in the world, the Al-Masjid Al-Haram complex covers an area of 3,56,800 square metres and can accommodate up to 8,20,000 worshippers during the Hajj. Amazing Fact: The Al-Masjid Al-Haram surrounds Islam’s
The Moai comprises–monolithic human figures or statues, carved between 1250 and 1500 BC, on the Chilean Polynesian island of the Easter Island. The statues represent deified ancestors of the Rapa Nui people. These statues are iconic with their overly large heads. While many of these statues are still in the Rana Raraku moai quarry, hundreds
Common name : Gisborne cockroach Scientific name : Drymaplaneta semivitta Family : Blattidae Native to : Australia Interesting fact : After it was introduced to New Zealand, this cockroach was first discovered in the town of Gisborne, hence the name ‘Gisborne cockroach’. After it was introduced to New Zealand, this cockroach was first discovered in
Common name : New Zealand giraffe weevil Scientific name : Lasiorhynchus barbicornis Family : Brentidae Native to : New Zealand Interesting fact : This particular insect has an extremely elongated snout, which resembles the neck of a giraffe, hence the name ‘giraffe beetle’. Almost 85 mm in length, the male stands taller than the female
Common name : Giant weta Scientific name : Deinacrida Family : Anostostomatidae Native to : New Zealand Interesting fact : The giant weta is not so social as the other weta. Its scientific name means ‘fierce grasshopper’ in Greek. At least 10 cm only in body length, the giant weta weighs around 35 g. In
Common name : Toe-biter Scientific name : Belostomatidae Family : Belostomatidae Native to : Worldwide distribution Interesting fact : In Asian cuisine, this insect is an extremely popular food. While most of the species of giant water bugs are about 2 cm in length, the lethocerus genus of this species is at least 12 cm
St. Peter’s Basilica was built between 1506 and 1626, in Vatican City, within Rome, Italy. St. Peter’s Basilica is one of the largest churches in the world and the most renowned work of Renaissance Architecture, which includes the breathtaking dome that was designed by Michelangelo. According to Catholic tradition, the Basilica is the burial site
Common name : Giant katydid Scientific name : Stilpnochlora couloniana Family : Tettigoniidae Native to : Cuba Interesting fact : The largest of the tettigoniidae family, the giant katydid’s appearance resembles that of a large leaf. With an average size of 4-6 cm in length, many in this species grow as big as 15 cm
Common name : Japanese giant hornet Scientific name : Vespa mandarinia japonica Family : Vespidae Native to : Japan Interesting fact : The Japanese giant hornet is the world’s largest hornet. More than 4.5 cm in length, it has a wingspan of 6 cm. Their diet is comprised of varied insects, and also corn pests.